{"id":2030,"date":"2026-07-01T06:07:44","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T06:07:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=2030"},"modified":"2026-07-01T06:07:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T06:07:44","slug":"mexico-ends-a-40-year-knockout-drought-in-2-0-win-over-ecuador-to-reach-the-round-of-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=2030","title":{"rendered":"Mexico ends a 40-year knockout drought in 2-0 win over Ecuador to reach the round of 16"},"content":{"rendered":"
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MEXICO CITY \u2014 The 40-year wait is over. Mexicans had learned to live with defeats in the knockout stages of the World Cup. On seven occasions, El Tri fans were left heartbroken at this stage.<\/p>\n

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Not anymore.<\/p>\n

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Juli\u00e1n Qui\u00f1ones and Ra\u00fal Jim\u00e9nez scored within a nine-minute span in the first half and Mexico defeated Ecuador 2-0 on Tuesday night to break a four-decade drought in the knockout stage and progress to the round of 16.<\/p>\n

Qui\u00f1ones opened the scoring in the 22nd minute and Jim\u00e9nez added a goal in the 31st for the Mexicans, who had not won a knockout-stage match since defeating Bulgaria in the round of 16 when they hosted the tournament in 1986. Mexico coach Javier Aguirre was one of the starting midfielders in that team in \u201986.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means a lot to me because I am one of those who could not progress in the knockout stage,\u201d Aguirre said. \u201cWe are in the round of 16 and it is happening a great connection with the fans. We are like a family. It is spectacular.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mexico lost seven consecutive times at that same stage from 1994 to 2018 and didn\u2019t advance past the group stage in 2022.<\/p>\n

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Aguirre, who returned as Mexico\u2019s head coach in August 2024, was an assistant in 1994 and was the coach in 2002 and 2010.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will be on high alert from here until Sunday. We will try to have the players recover from this and we will see if we are able to win again,\u201d Aguirre said.<\/p>\n

For Qui\u00f1ones, it was a third goal in the tournament and he is now El Tri\u2019s second-highest scorer in World Cup history behind Luis \u201cMatador\u201d Hern\u00e1ndez and Javier \u201cChicharito\u201d Hern\u00e1ndez, who scored four each.<\/p>\n

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